Links for 1/5/18

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago speaks Nov. 13, 2017, during the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. (CNS/Bob Roller)

Due to the holiday publishing schedule, it seems like forever since I put up a links page. Some of these may be dated but are still worth reading.

In the category "stepping on the lede" this article in USA Today focuses on Mike Pence's neighbors putting up a rainbow flag with the words "Make America Gay Again" on the joint entrance to their driveway in Aspen. Aspen? Who knew this champion of the forgotten men and women, like his boss, has such a tony vacation home?

At Politico, a look at how juvenile politics got in the way of Congress coming through with necessary aid for Puerto Rico. Eric LeCompte, executive director at Jubilee USA, who has been working closely with the religious leaders on the island for over a year, tells me there is still hope the aid will be attached to some must-pass legislation this month. In the meantime, Puerto Rico twists in the wind, no pun intended.

In The Washington Post, David von Drehle reminds us that not all the creepy politics are on the right in this takedown of David Brock. Sen. Bernie Sanders got it right when he said of Brock and his organizations, "I don't think you hire scum of the Earth to be on your team just because the other side does it."

I am not much of a fan of podcasts, but this one from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel caught my attention: He interviews Cardinal Blase Cupich and the repartee between the two is rich. But, Cupich came in second at the Chicago Tribune's list of the top ten newsmakers. Yes, he beat out Gov. Bruce Rauner, the president, and the Bears' quarterback Mitch Trubisky, but he could not overtake Chance the Rapper.

Also at Politico, historian David Greenberg on why we can't let the #MeToo movement change history.

And, at Religion News Service, Mark Silk also takes down some newer revisionist history, pointing out that as nice as it would be to think that black voters in Alabama kept Judge Roy Moore out of the Senate, it was actually changes in the votes of white evangelicals that were decisive.

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Lastly, at The Washington Post, what America looks like now that pensions are a thing of the past. All those champions of the unrestricted free market need to explain how these people benefit by having to work into their 80s.

[Michael Sean Winters covers the nexus of religion and politics for NCR.]​